To what length does and artist have to go to in order to expell a worthy David Bowie cover? Over the years, many artists have attempted to recreate the Thin White Duke's genius. Those who have succeeded in capturing his essence have done so by going above and beyond, but without simply trying to mimic the original.

Recently, Beck organized a group of 167 musicians to cover "Sound and Vision" off Bowie's 1977 opus Low. In order to come close to matching the classic, Beck found it necessary to enlist members of the Dap-Kings, members of the USC marching band, a Peruvian charango group, a CalArts gamelan ensemble, Fred Martin and LA's Millennium Choirs, nine guitarists, a Theremin player, and his own father as the conductor.

As one would expect, the list of David Bowie covers is extensive, having a vast array of artists involved stretching from Barbara Streisand to The Blood Brothers. We fished through the boundless depths and selected the five most transcendent renditions of David Bowie classics.

5. Superchunk - "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)"

This is a song off Superchunk's double disc collection of singles, B-sides, and rarities, Cup of Sand, released back in 2003. Superchunk transports the title track off Bowie's 1980 release out of the decade of pop darkness and into an age of gritty garage reverb.

4. TV on the Radio ft. Karen O - "Heroes"

Back in 2008, Bowie provided backing vocals on "Province," a shining track on Return to Cookie Mountain, so they had a pretty good feel for the dude. "Heroes" is Bowie's most covered song, and this one was chosen due to the incorporation of TVOTR's signature, eccentric aesthetic, which magically complements the original. Oh, and it also features Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, so that's a plus.

3. M. Ward - "Let's Dance"

The whispery monster of folk completely turns the 80s pop ballad on its head by stripping it down to a whispering acoustic. It's an otherworldly and completely genuine interpretation of the original.

2. Seu Jorge - "Rock n' Roll Suicide"

Performed originally for Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Brazilian musician/actor Seu Jorge sings "Rock n Roll Suicide" in his native language, Portuguese. This was one of multiple Bowie songs repurposed for the film by Jorge, but undoubtedly the finest. Without any former knowledge of the foreign language, the amplifying emotional burn of the original persists all the way up until the climactic "Oh no Love! You're not alone!"

1. Nirvana - "The Man Who Sold the World"

Famously performed live in 1993 during MTV Unplugged, Nirvana's rendition of "The Man Who Sold the World" is quite possibly the most highly acclaimed cover in modern music. Cobain's trembling voice sings Bowie's words about a man who no longer recognizes himself and can no longer stand it. Four months after this performance, Cobain took his own life.

John Vanderslice's last couple of albums were issued by Dead Oceans, but the Floridian songwriter will be going a more DIY route by self-releasing the follow-up. Dagger Beach is due this spring via Vanderslice's own Tiny Telephone label.

The album was written and recorded over 10 months, and the singer noted that the process was similar to that of Cellar Door (2004) and Pixel Revolt (2005). He explained in a statement, "songs were written over existing free-form drum parts, or tracked at home and meticulously overdubbed at Tiny Telephone. We kept the roughness and frayed edges in (when they worked) and leaned on early takes and performances that teetered on perfection."

Vanderslice is selling copies through a Kickstarter campaign, which has already passed its $18,500 goal.

Many of the Kickstarter packages include a full-album cover of David Bowie's Diamond Dogs. This disc features members of Avi Buffalo, and Vanderslice called it "probably the most out, weird, and chaotic thing I've done." It was made in five days and its vinyl release will be limited to 300 copies.

Other pledge rewards available at Kickstarter include records, unreleased rare music, a private listening party, 10-LP package, house show, the chance to record an EP with Vanderslice at his studio, and — perhaps best of all — the songwriter's officiating duties for your wedding.

Check out the full details of the campaign over at Kickstarter. A promotional video for the campaign is at the bottom of this page.

Packages are slated to ship sometime around May, while the album will be in stores this summer. Vanderslice promised that pledgers would receive their copies at least a week before they arrive in stores.

Dagger Beach:

1. Raw Wood 2. Harlequin Press 3. Song for Dana Lok 4. How The West Was Won 5. Interlude #16. Song for David Berman 7. Damage Control 8. Song for the Landlords of Tiny Telephone9. Gaslight 10. Sleep It Off 11. Sonogram 12. North Coast Rep 13. Interlude #2

John Vanderslice Plays Diamond Dogs:

1. This Ain't Rock and Roll, This Is Suicide 2. Diamanthunde 3. Jump In The River Holding Hands 4. Juvenile Success5. Would You Possibly Rock and Roll with Me?6. Be Elusive, But Don't Walk Far7. The Savage Jaw8. A Better Whirlpool9. Shake It Up, Shake It Up